Improvement in stamp-cancelers



CHARLES' EGERTON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRIGT 0F COLUMBIA, AssIoNon ToSAMUEE E. HIDDLETON AND DANIEL W'. MIDDLETON, JR., OF SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 110,962, dated January 17, 18.71.

iaiPnovEMEn'r m STAMP-ennemies.

To all whom it maj] concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. Eennrox, of VaShingtOn, in the county ofWashington and inthe District of Columbia, have invented cert-ain newand useful Improve-ments in Screw and Plate-canceling Stamps; and dohereby declare that the -following is a full; clear, arid exactdescription thereof; reference being had to the accompanying drawing andto the letters of' reference marked thereon making a part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention consists in the con-` lwhich my inventionappcrtains to .make and use the same, I will now proceed to describeitseonstruetion and operation, reiten-ing to the| annexed drawing, inwhich- Figure' 1 is a longitudinal vertical section;

Figure 2 is a pian view; and

Figure 3 is a section of the screw.

A represents a plate made in the shape oi' an oblong star of anysuitabledimension, and provided on its under side with tooth-shapedprojections a a.

In the center' of the plate A is a round countersunk hole, b, having inits circumference two recesses, e c, opposite each other, said recessesextending upward in the plate from the under side.

v 'lhc revenue-stamp being placed over the hung of a barrel, the plate Ais laid on top of the same so that. the central 'opening 7 willcoine atabout the eenL ter oi the bung.

A sei-cw, B, is then screwed through the opening T1 intothe bung, sofruthat the head of the screw will fit in thc'countcrsink around thehole Il. This, of

course, hns the effect of causing the teeth (t a on the under side ofthe into the bung.

The shankof the screw B is slotted vertically from the head downward,and in the lower end of this slot plate to penetrate the stamp and.'

are pirated-two wings, d d, the upper ends of which are pressed outwardby means of a spring inserted bctween t-hem in the slot:

The projecting portions of t-hc wings :lll are rounded on one side sothat, when the s ,crew is being forced or screwed in, the wings will, bycoming in contact with the inner edge of the plate, be pressed inward..

As soon as the screw B has been screwed in sutucieutly, that is, when`the head is as i'arin as it will come, the upper ends' of the wings 'areforced outward and into the recesses o e on ythe under side ofthe plateA, which eiectually locks the screw, as the square sides of the wingswill prevent flic screw from being turned backwanl. v

The stamp Cannot be removed as long as this plate is on, and whentlieplatcfs removed, as will be presently mentioned, the stamp is so -tornthat it is im` possible to use it again.

The plate A cannot he removed as long as the hung remains in the barrel,because the screw ll cannot be turned backward; but, whenthebung isremoved, the plate and screw go with it. Then the bung can be nnserewedfrom the screw, but the teeth a a., pelletrating into the bung,necessitates or causes a tearing ot the uppersurtacc ot' the bung andconsequent tearing ot' the stump, relnleringl it impossible for thestamp to he used again.

`Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination oi' the plate A with its teeth .a (1, central openingI), and recesses o o, a1nl tl1e screw B with its spring wings (l d, allsubstantially as and for -5 the purposes herein se't forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have' hereunto set mv handthis 4th day oi November, 1870. l l

CHARLES G. EGER'LON.

Witnesses:

Funnix. Kooxes, A. N. MARR.

